The Princess and her Tactician
by kagaminelen478
Summary: Rewrite of my original story The Princess's Tactician. Story will be similar but with some changes. The campaign against Nergal has ended. The Prince of Tactics, Kouga, having traveled all over Elibe, has decided to travel to Magvel for more adventures. Little does he know that he will have to lead a princess in a war to retake her country, and fall in love in the process. Rated M
1. Saying Goodbye

**Hello guys and girls. I know it's been a while but I'm finally back. In case you're wondering, this is going to be a rewrite of my previous Fire Emblem story, The Princess's Tactician. I wasn't completely satisfied with how it turned out, so I decided to rewrite it and make some changes. It's going to have a slight plot change, and I hope you all have patience with me, since I have to balance this with some college work. I also want to apologize for the amount of time I've had you guys waiting. I never expected to make my hiatus as long as it turned out, but circumstances that I can't divulge led to the hiatus being longer than I expected. I'll try to not let the same thing happen again. Thanks for understanding everyone.**

 **Pre-Prologue: Saying Goodbye…**

It's been two years since the war against Nergal and the dragon ended. The memories of the war still burn intensely in everyone's hearts. One memory in particular was the loss and death of Athos. However, even in death, his legacy lived on and he would continue to live on in everyone's memory.

Not all things that came out of the war were bad however. From the ashes of war came happiness for many of the brave warriors. Ninian, who was persuaded by Nils to stay behind, began her life with Eliwood by his side. Hector and Lyn, despite their differences, worked together to restore Caelin to its former glory. Eventually, the two finally accepted the feelings they had and began to live their lives together. Among the other couples that formed were Kent and Fiora, Florina and Sain, Wil and Rebecca, Heath and Priscilla, and Serra and Erk.

A month after the campaign, Eliwood succeeded his father as Marquess, and shortly after, he and Ninian got married. Just like Eliwood, Hector succeeded his brother and married Lyn two months later. As for Lyn, she spent her days working to restore Caelin back to its former glory, all the meanwhile spending some well-earned time with her grandfather. After marrying Hector, she began to realize that she would have to make a decision on whether she would stay in Caelin. Eventually, Lyn's grandfather retired and Lyn made her decision. She decided to live with Hector and allowed Kent to take over as Marquess of Caelin. A month later, her grandfather passed away from old age, but despite the sadness, Lyn was able to overcome it with the support of Hector and the man that had supported her since she met him lying unconscious in a plain. This man was the same man that fought alongside her, Eliwood, and Hector and led them to victory against Nergal.

This man's name is Kouga. An expert in the way of the sword and a master tactician, he remained undefeated in the battlefield, though when asked about it, he replied that he couldn't have done it without his comrades. Even though he could've simply led from the sidelines, he refused to let others fight alone, which led to him joining his companions in the front lines. Thanks to the many battles they fought together side-by-side, Kouga was able to make friends of every one of his comrades, including some of the more quiet fellows. Out of all his friends, the closest were the three lords, Heath, Karel, and Jaffar. In honor of his accomplishments, he was given the title of The Prince of Tactics.

Wherever he went, he'd find people searching for him for his talents. Eventually, it got so competitive that small conflicts arose among the lands. Things eventually settled down when Kouga, having grown tired of all the conflict, finally told everyone that he had no intention of doing what they wanted of him.

Instead, Kouga wandered the lands searching for new experiences. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that staying in Elibe wouldn't give him the answers he was searching for, since he had already experienced everything Elibe had to offer. He also wanted to get away from his fame.

And so, we find our hero standing in front of the boat that would take him to Magvel, a continent south of Elibe, where he hoped to begin a new life. Standing in front of him were some of his closest friends that were able to catch up to him before he left: Lyn, Karel, Heath, and Jaffar.

Lyn walked up to Kouga and hugged him before saying, "Must you leave Kouga?"

Kouga smiled down sadly at her before saying, "I'm sorry Lyn, but I want to explore new things. I think that by going to Magvel, I'll be able to do just that. Don't worry I'll make sure to write often."

Caressing her cheek, Kouga smiled and continued, "I wish I could stay, but I feel like I should do this. I'll miss you dearly Lyn. You gave a new chance at life and I fear to think what would have become of me if you hadn't found me in those plains that fateful day."

Lyn leaned to his touch and held his hand, shedding a tear as she said, "I understand. I'm going to miss you dearly Kouga. If it weren't for you, I'd probably have stayed in that little hut forever. I wouldn't have made all the friends I did and I wouldn't have gotten the chance to meet my grandfather. I'll forever be in your debt."

Crying a little, she sucked in a breath before looking up at him with glossy eyes and saying, "Just… Just make sure to come back to us safe and sound alright?"

Kouga wiped her tears and hugged her close, running his hand through her green hair before saying, "I will. Don't worry about me. I know how to take care of myself. Take care and give my regards to Hector when you see him."

Lyn hugged him back and nodded. After giving Kouga a kiss on the cheek, she moved back and allowed the others to walk forward.

Kouga turned to Heath and said, "Heath, take care yourself and give my regards to Priscilla."

Heath smiled and gave him a hug before replying, "I will. Take care of yourself, otherwise Priscilla will be saddened. She treats you like a brother, and was saddened she was unable to see you off."

Kouga nodded and said, "I know. She's a very special person to me and I hope things go well to her. Tell her I understand why she was unable to come."

With a nod from Heath, Kouga turned to Karel saying, "Take care Karel. I'll miss our sparring matches, even if we still ended up with the same number of wins and losses each."

Karel nodded and shook Kouga hand before saying, "You'll be missed my friend. I look forward to finally deciding who the better swordsman is. Take care."

Finally, Kouga turned to Jaffar and smiled before saying, "Try to socialize some more. Don't fret too much on your past. The others have already forgiven you for it. I'll miss you my friend."

Jaffar gave a small and rare smile before nodding and saying, "…I'll try. No promises though. Just make sure you come back. I don't want to have to go drag you out of whatever problem you dug yourself into this time."

Kouga shared a small laugh with him and reassured him before stepping back and addressing the entire group, "Give my regards to everyone else and tell them I wish them good fortune with their lives. I'll write as much as I can."

Waving goodbye to his friends, he boarded the ship to Magvel, where many new journeys awaited him. As the ship departed from Elibe, Kouga found himself reminiscing about all the memories he made with everyone. Shedding a small tear at the memories, he said goodbye to Elibe for the last time before turning and preparing for his new adventure in Magvel.

A month has passed since Kouga set out of his journey to Magvel. After a three day trip on sea, he arrived at his destination and began to trek across Magvel, simply enjoying the sights and the peace that came with not having people recognize him for his reputation.

Currently, he found himself in the Kingdom of Renais, where a festival seemed to be taking place. Kouga smiled at the sight of children running around having fun, and the sound of people mingling together throughout the kingdom.

Hearing a large amount of noise coming from close by, Kouga decides to check out the situation. What he finds is a large obstacle set up in the city's center, where one could see various people attempt to get through it, only to fail at some point. Seated nearby was King Fado, the current ruler of Renais. At his side was a knight with red hair, who seemed to be looking out towards the crowd in what Kouga could only assume to be an attempt at identifying any potential dangers. Seated to each side of the king were a set of twins that Kouga, according to his research of Renais, assumed to be the prince and princess Ephraim and Eirika respectively.

Startled slightly by Eirika's beauty, Kouga shook his head before looking towards the obstacle course again. It seemed very interesting. It was split into three parts. The first was a straight line run from one point to another. The difficult part came in avoiding the swinging wooden hammers that aimed to knock the competitors out of the course. The second part consisted of three spinning wheels that one would have to jump to reach each one. In between each wheel was a retractable wall that would shoot up in an attempt to prevent the contestant from reaching the next wheel. Despite the fact that it only rose to a certain height, it seemed that any contestant skilled enough to reach that part was unable to overcome such an obstacle. The final part, and from what Kouga hears the most difficult, consists of five ropes that one would have to ride a certain distance before having to jump across and reach out to the next rope until you reach the final rope, where one jumps over the final wall and finishes the course.

Overall, the course seemed to be built so not just any person could finish it. After watching a couple of other competitors attempt the course, Kouga decided to give the course his own attempt. Walking up to the beginning of the course, he began to tune out the sound of the crowd cheering, focusing on the obstacles themselves and already thinking out his steps in his mind.

King Fado had been observing the various participants with a smile on their face. Though slightly disappointed that no one had yet to complete it, he was glad people were having fun. He knew that the only thing that really kept the contestant from completing the course was a certain amount of concentration and discipline that no one had shown yet. Looking at Kouga walk up to the course, Fado immediately knew that this person was different from the rest. Instead of the usual playful interaction with the crowd that the other competitors did, he simply seemed to tune them out and focus completely on the course.

Sitting up in his chair, he drew the attention of his son Ephraim. Ephraim looked at his father with a questioning gaze before asking, "What's wrong father? Is everything okay?"

Fado nodded and without taking his gaze off of Kouga, said, "Yes my son. Everything is fine. I simply have a good feeling about this next person."

Ephraim, surprised that his father said something like that, hummed to himself and turned his complete attention to Kouga, hoping to see what it was that had caught his father's attention. Sure enough, the first thing he noticed was the fact that Kouga was completely ignoring the crowd's cheers and he seemed to be going through the entire course in his head. Intrigued like his father, Ephraim sat up again in his chair, eager to see how well this person would do in the course.

Unlike her brother and father, Eirika was simply enjoying hearing the laughter and happiness of the people. She was perfectly content with just enjoying the smiles of the people. She grew intrigued with the conversation between her brother and father and decided to focus her attention on the man that caught their interest. The first thing she noticed when she set her eyes on him was that he was wearing what seemed to be a tunic, something that she recognized as something someone who traveled a lot would wear. The second thing she noticed was his face. Blushing slightly at his charming face, she noticed the slight scar that ran across his right eye, as well as the fact that he wasn't paying attention to anything other than the course. After calming down from her slightly flustered moment, she found herself eager to see how well he'd do in the course.

Upon hearing the horn to start, Kouga began to run towards the first obstacle. Carefully calculated the approximate path of the hammers would take, he began running across, crossing each hammer exactly a quarter of a second after it had passed through the path. In a matter of seconds, he had run across to the end of the first part of the obstacle course and found himself staring down the spinning wheels. After a second of rest, he jumped on to the first wheel. Holding on, he waited until it spun to the other side before getting ready to jump. Having been observing the other contestants, he calculated exactly how high the wall would go, and with an adequate push against the spinning wheel, he jumped up and was able to go over the first wall with mere centimeters between him and the wall. He performed something similar with the second and third wheel before he finally found himself staring down the third and final part of the obstacle course. Once again, he spend a second catching his breath before jumping and reaching out to the first rope. He rode the rope a few feet before letting go and jumping towards the next rope. After a few more swings, he found himself jumping off the last rope and reaching the end of the rope, where he landed in a kneeling position.

Standing up, he found the crowd was quiet in shock at his performance, before eventually, they broke out in cheers for his performance.

King Fado started clapping and walked up to him before saying, "Well done young man. You made that obstacle course look easy with the way you finished it so fast."

Kouga smiled before saying, "Thank you your majesty. I like to think I can handle that much. I've experienced worse beforehand." It was true. After having to face off against someone like Nergal and a dragon, something like an obstacle course should be simple.

Fado motioned for the red-haired man and whispered something to him, which seemed to startle the man, though only for a second, since he immediately nodded and seemed to ride off back towards the castle. Fado then turned to Kouga and saying, "I want to invite you to the castle for a meal. I wish to speak to you more in private."

Kouga, seeing no reason to reject him, nodded before following behind him and his two children, who both smiled at him before following behind their father. After a short ride to the castle, Kouga found himself sitting in the dining chambers, where he was currently enjoying a delicious meal with the king. After a while, Fado put his silverware down and turned to Kouga saying, "How are you enjoying the meal young man?"

Kouga wiped his mouth with the napkin before nodding and saying, "It's delicious. And I'm sorry but I've yet to introduce myself. My name is Kouga. It's a pleasure to meet you your majesty."

Fado smiled and replied, "That's a wonderful name Kouga. My name is Fado. It's a pleasure to meet you. Now if you don't mind, I have a question."

Once Kouga nodded, Fado continued, "Where did you learn to move so well? That obstacle course was not easy in any manner, yet you made it look so easy."

Kouga, seeing no harm in letting him know, said, "I spent some time practicing swordplay in the past. I guess all that training helped my reflexes."

Nodding, Fado spoke out and said, "If you don't mind Kouga, I have a matter of business that I want to address with you."

Kouga, noticing the change in tone in Fado's voice, gestured for Fado to continue. Satisfied he had Kouga's attention, Fado continued, "As I'm sure you've heard, we live in a time of peace. We've lived in these times for over 800 years. You may call me crazy for this, but recently, I've been having a bad feeling, like something is going to happen, yet there are no signs of anything occurring anywhere in Magvel. Despite this, I feel like I want to be prepared in case something big does happen. That's why I set up that obstacle course. I wanted to find someone suitable that would be able to assist us in case something happens. And after talking to you, I'm even more confident that person is you."

With noticeable concern growing on his face, Kouga replied, "What makes you so certain your majesty?"

Fado simply smiled and said, "Tales travel across the lands Kouga. And one such tale is that of The Prince of Tactics. Known across Elibe as the man who led the charge against the tyrant Nergal. The tale also rumors that he was able to fight off a dragon. Though most tales exaggerate the facts, I'm certain this certain tale is quite accurate. Would I be wrong, Prince of Tactics?"

Kouga simply stared at Fado with a blank stare. After a few seconds of silence, Kouga sighed before saying, "I shouldn't be surprised someone such as yourself was able to figure out my identity after such a short conversation. And though I'm reluctant to reveal any actual details about my actual experiences at the moment, I will say that there is a lot of truth in the tales told about me. Now that you know who I am though, what do you plan to do with that information?"

Feeling the hidden threat in his voice, Fado held his hands up before saying, "I don't plan on divulging that information to anyone you don't want to know."

Once Kouga relaxed again, Fado continued, "All I want to do is ask for your help. As you travel the land, I want you to notify me if you see anything. We will trade messages and meet in secret. You and I will be the only ones that know. Though don't let this distract you from your travels. Enjoy all the sights Magvel has to offer."

Kouga spent a few minutes pondering what he should do, and finally came to a decision. "I originally intended to simply travel all around Magvel in hopes of experiencing as much as I can, so I don't see any reason for me to decline your offer. Plus, if I did, I'm sure Lyn would kill me for ignoring the concern of such an honest man such as yourself. With that in mind, plus the fact that I'm genuinely intrigued, I don't see a reason as to why I shouldn't go along with your plan."

Fado smiled and stood up before walking to Kouga and saying, "Excellent. I look forward to working with you, and I know you'll do your best to maintain the peace we live in."

Kouga nodded and shook hands with Fado. With a smile on his face, he said, "I look forward to working with you your majesty."

 **And that's a wrap everyone. At least for the first chapter. Anyway, I'll try to make sure I work on this as much as I can, so long as my college work isn't affected. That will obviously take priority. Till next time.**


	2. The Fall of Renais

**Hey guys. I'm back with chapter 2. Well technically the prologue but y'all know what I mean. Anyway enjoy. I don't own Fire Emblem in any way.**

 **Prologue: The Fall of Renais**

In an age long past… evil flooded over the land. Creatures awash in the dark tide ran wild, pushing mankind to the brink of annihilation. In its despair, mankind appealed to the heavens, and from a blinding light came hope.

The Sacred Stones. These five glorious treasures held the power to dispel evil. The hero Grado and his warriors used the Sacred Stones to combat evil's darkness. They defeated the Demon King and sealed his soul away within the stones. With the darkness imprisoned, peace returned to Magvel. But this peace would not last…

The continent of Magvel, for some 800 years, a quiet peace reigned in the absence of the terrible darkness. The Sacred Stones have passed from generation to generation. Nations have been built around their power and their legacy. The kingdom of Renais, ruled by Fado, the peerless Warrior King. The kingdom of Frelia, ruled by Hayden, the venerable Sage King. The kingdom of Jehanna, ruled by Ismaire, Queen of the White Dunes. The theocracy of Rausten, ruled by Mansel, the Divine Emperor. The Grado Empire, ruled by Vigarde, the stalwart Silent Emperor. These five countries house the power of the Sacred Stones. They are joined by the emerging mercantile republic of Carcino. In these times of peace, tales of past conflict have drifted into legend, and memories of the ancient dark arts have all but evaporated.

It is now the year 803… In an instant, the whole of Magvel is threatened by an unexpected atrocity. The Grado Empire, the largest of the Sacred Stones nations, has invaded the kingdom of Renais under orders from Emperor Vigarde. A longtime ally of Grado, Renais is caught off guard, unable to mount any resistance. Grado's forces move quickly, seizing one territory after another. Compounding King Fado's worries, his son, Prince Ephraim, has gone missing. Grado's momentum carries its armies to the gates of Castle Renais itself. Renais will fall… It is inevitable…

 _In Castle Renais_

King Fado sat in his throne, a hand resting on his forehead, wondering where he had gone wrong. He was caught off guard and now his kingdom was suffering the consequences. Innocent people were dying and the sudden invasion of Grado proved to be too much for his forces. His thoughts were interrupted when a soldier rushed inside the throne room before kneeling before him.

Panting, the soldier catches his breath slightly before saying, "Your majesty. I bring dire news. The castle gates have been breached. Emperor Vigarde's forces broke through our defenses. They showed up all of a sudden sire…"

Fado nodded before saying, "I understand…"

The soldier looked up at King Fado before saying, "The garrison has fallen. We've yet to hear anything from Prince Ephraim, so we can't expect any help from him or his men. What are your orders your majesty?"

Fado stood up before saying, "Order your men to stand down. I won't allow any more innocent lives to be lost."

Reluctantly, the soldier nodded before walking off with his orders. Eirika, who had been standing beside her father throughout the entire conversation, looked up at her father with a questioning gaze before vocalizing her concerns, "Father… What are we going to do?"

Fado turned to his daughter and smiled down at her before saying, "Eirika. Are you wearing the bracelet I gave you?"

Confused, Eirika nodded and showed him the bracelet before saying, "Of course. I have it right here. I always keep it with me."

Fado smiled before turning to the side, where Seth was waiting for his orders.

Nodding to Seth, Fado said, "Seth. I have your orders."

Seth saluted before kneeling in front of Fado and saying, "Yes, your majesty? What are your orders?"

Fado grasped Eirika's shoulders before pushing her slightly towards Seth, causing Eirika to look at him curiously. "Take Eirika and head for Frelia. King Hayden is an honorable man. I trust he will keep you safe."

Shocked at her father's words, Eirika could say nothing while Seth pulled her towards him before looking at his majesty and saying, "Understood. And what of your majesty?"

Fado smiled down at his daughter before turning to Seth and saying, "Me? I shall remain here in the castle. We have long held Grado among our dearest allies, yet now, after all this time of peace, they attack us? I must know why. Am I somehow responsible for this? Have I erred in my leadership? Renais is mine to guide… How could I have failed her so? I allowed so many innocent people to die because of my failure. I must make amends, at least to bring peace to all the lives lost in this struggle."

Having finally regained her composure, Eirika struggles against Seth's hold, screaming out, "Father! You can't stay! You mustn't! If you remain, then so shall I!"

Fado shook his head sadly before saying, "I'm sorry my beautiful daughter, but this is my task to complete, not yours. I want you to go, and live on. You and your brother are the best things that ever happened to me. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. Do this old man a favor and listen to me my daughter."

With tears falling down her cheeks, Eirika nodded before hugging her father for what seemed to be the last time. After saying farewell, Fado turned to Seth and said, "Go now Seth! Ride! Take her to safety!"

Nodding, Seth begins to walk away. The last thing Fado sees of his daughter is her tear-stained face screaming out his name in an attempt to reach out for him again. Smiling sadly, he turns to shadows, where a silent figure came out of hiding. The figure revealed himself to be Kouga, who upon hearing of the invasion, rushed back to the castle, in an attempt to talk to Fado. Walking up to him, he says, "Do me a favor Kouga. Make sure they make it out. Afterwards, return here. I have something I want to talk to you about."

Nodding, Kouga ran off after Seth.

Outside the castle, Seth has met up with Franz, a blond knight under his command. Franz saluted to Seth before saying, "General Seth! What are your orders?"

Seth turned to Franz and said, "Franz, ride ahead and bring word of our coming to Frelia. A single rider has better odds of passing unseen by Grado's men. Convey to the throne everything that has happened here and petition for reinforcements."

Nodding, Franz saluted before riding off on his horse towards Frelia as fast as he can, in hopes of coming back in time.

Hoping Franz would be able to make it in time, Seth turned to Eirika and said, "Princess Eirika, we must—quickly! Behind me!"

Hiding Eirika behind him, Seth noticed a platoon of wyvern riders heading towards them. Upon their landing, a man with long blue hair spoke up, "Well what do we have here? Tell me young man, that wouldn't happen to be the wayward princess of Renais would she? This must be my lucky day indeed. Sorry to say this lad but you're a dead man. The wench goes with me."

Seth frowned at the man before shouting, "Never! I won't let you lay your hands on the princess."

Unsheathing his sword, Seth charged at the man, who readied his lance in response. The man simply laughed before leveling his lance towards Seth and saying, "I am Valter, the Moonstone, Grado's finest general. And you're just a corpse who does not know he is dead."

With those words, Valter rushed Seth, who rushed to parry the strike. Despite his attempts, Valter proved to be much stronger than Seth anticipated, which led to him being struck in his side.

Seth grunted and said, "Ahh...No!"

Holding his wound, he moved back towards Eirika, as if to act as her shield. Just as Valter was approaching them, he had to move out of the way of a sword swing. Looking towards the direction of the attack, he noticed Kouga walking towards him, getting between him and Seth.

Turning towards Seth and Eirika, Kouga said, "Run. Take Princess Eirika and head towards Frelia. I'll hold this guy off."

With a nod, Seth grabbed Eirika and they both rode off on his horse towards Frelia. Satisfied he had completed his task, Kouga turned towards Valter, who was looking at the path Seth rode off on curiously. "Such terrible wounds and still he holds to his duty? How entertaining. Fly away, little man. Fly away. Try to outrun death. More time to savor the hunt… and the kill."

Frowning, Kouga leveled his sword at Valter before saying, "I'm afraid you won't be doing anything of the sort anytime soon. I'll make sure of it."

Valter turned to Kouga and smiled before saying, "Oh… Do you want to play too? Tell me young man, what's your name?"

Kouga smirked at Valter before saying, "My name doesn't matter. All you have to know is that I'm going to be the one to defeat you."

Laughing, Valter charged at Kouga, his lance aimed at his heart. Kouga simply parried the strike before kneeing Valter in the gut. With a gasp, Valter moved back, only to find himself having to move backward again after Kouga slashed his side.

Holding his wound, Valter snarled before saying, "Lucky shot punk. Though even if I can't beat you, that doesn't mean that you win. I'm sure that by now, our troops are infiltrating the castle. What will you do then? Will you stay here or will you go back to your king?"

Frowning, Kouga realized Valter was right. Sheathing his sword, he said, "I'll let you live for now, but the next time we meet, you won't get so lucky."

Kouga ran off back into the castle, leaving Valter to lick his wounds. When Kouga re-entered the throne room, he found Fado sitting in his throne. Once Fado noticed Kouga, he stood up and said, "Were Seth and Eirika able to escape?"

Kouga nodded and said, "They were both able to escape. There was a slight problem at the gate, but I took care of it. What did you want to talk about Fado?"

While most would frown upon directing the king with such familiarity if they were not family, Fado was happy that Kouga was able to trust him enough that they could talk on a first name basis. Shaking his head, Fado said, "I have a favor to ask you for. I won't make it out of this alive, as I'm sure you've figured out, so I want you to promise me something. Protect Eirika with everything you have. She will be heartbroken that I wasn't able to meet up with her again. She'll need someone like you to help her recover. I want you to guide her in her life and make sure she lives a happy life. If you could as well, help her find her brother. She likes to act tough, but she's really worried about him."

Kouga nodded and knelt in front of him before saying, "I promise at least that much. I'll take care of both your children. Thank you for everything you did for me Fado. It was honor to have met someone like you."

Standing up, Kouga hugged Fado, who returned it. Separating, Fado said, "Take care my friend. I will miss you."

Kouga nodded and said, "I will. I'll miss you too. I'll make sure to keep my promise."

With a smile of his face, Fado looked on as Kouga left the throne room. Sitting back down on his throne, he lost his smile before saying, "...I will not stray from the path I've chosen. No matter what happens, I must learn the truth. No matter what happens to me…"

As the Grado forces began to rush into the throne room, King Fado stood up, unsheathed the sword at his side and said, "Ephraim, Eirika… You must survive. Live on, for I will be unable to live on by your side. I know you will both grow to be wonderful rulers. I just wish I could have seen you both when the time came..."

 _Towards the outskirts of Renais_

Seth kept on riding for a while before he felt he could stop. Turning towards Princess Eirika, he said, "Princess Eirika! This way! I can see no more of Grado's men! If we've made it this far, we've surely earned a moment's rest. Please forgive my grabbing you so… brusquely earlier."

Eirika shook her head before saying, "Don't be foolish, Seth. If it weren't for you, I would never have made it out of the castle. You are the reason I am still alive. You have my gratitude."

Seth nodded at her response but then grimaced at the slight pain from the wound he received. Noticing his reaction, Eirika looked towards the wound and frowned before saying, "I'm sorry Seth. Whoever that man was, he was clearly after me… It's my fault that you received such a grave wound. Allow me to treat it, I—"

Seth shook his head and tightened the sash he had wrapped around his wound tighter before saying, "Your highness, I can't allow an injury like this to be an obstacle. We have more important matters to attend to. We must press on to Frelia. We must fulfill his Majesty's wishes."

At the mention of her father, Eirika looked down at the floor, wondering how he was doing. She voiced her thoughts moments later, "...I wonder how my father fares alone in the castle. Do you think he's safe? And what of my brother on the Grado front? We've heard nothing from him for days."

Seth smiled down at Eirika before saying, "King Fado and Prince Ephraim are both valiant and brave men. I doubt even the might of the Grado Empire can hold them in check. More important to me, your highness, is that you look to your own safety. How sad the two of them would be if something were to happen to you. We much reach Frelia to ensure the day of your happy reunion."

Eirika nodded and smiled up at Seth before saying, "Yes, of course. You're right. Until I'm reunited with my father and brother, I must not despair. Come Seth. Let us go."

After a short walk, the two encountered a bridge, which Seth quickly recognized as the one leading towards Frelia. Gesturing to the bridge, Seth said, "Once we cross that bridge, we will be in Frelia, near Border Mulan. Let us proceed, Princess Eirika."

Just as Eirika is about to walk forward, Seth pulls her back. Looking up at him with a questioning gaze, Eirika says, "Seth? What's wrong?"

Seth reached towards his bag before pulling out a beautiful rapier and holding it out towards Eirika. When she gave him a questioning gaze, he said, "Your highness, I won't lie to you. This will not be an easy ride. Please, take this rapier. If something should happen to me, you must continue to Frelia, alone if need be."

With a nod, Eirika took the blade. Just as they were getting ready to move again, they heard a shout from behind them. "You there! Renais dogs! Where do you think you're going?"

Seth cursed to himself silently before saying, "Grado's men… Stand back Princess Eirika."

Shaking her head, Eirika held out the rapier Seth just gave her and said, "It's all right Seth. My brother has taught me something of swordplay. I will stand with you."

Smiling at Eirika's courage, Seth nodded before unsheathing his blade and standing side-by-side with Eirika. Because of Seth's injury, he wasn't moving as fast as he could, but thanks to some help from Eirika, he was able to avoid hurting himself further. Since they were only against three men, it didn't take them long to dispose of the first two. With only the leader left, Eirika walked forward, determined to finish this herself. Laughing, the leader said, "What's this? Do you think you can take me, wretched lordling? Come! It's time you high-and-mighty knights learned to respect a true warrior!"

Eirika thrust forward with her rapier and the leader simply parried it before saying, "You will be the first to die!"

Despite his words, Eirika quickly adapted to his fighting style and with little difficulty was able to strike the finishing blow when the leader grew overconfident and left himself open. Shocked, the leader was only able to say "What? How?" before he fell to the ground dead.

With the battle over, Seth turned to Eirika and said, "Princess, are you injured?"

Eirika shook her head and said, "No I'm fine. Seems my training paid off after all."

Seth looked at her worried before saying, "But you look so pale…"

Eirika mumbled back, "I'm fine…"

Shaking her head, she looked up at Seth and said, "...This is war, isn't it?"

Understanding appeared in Seth's face and he smiled sadly at Eirika before saying, "Yes, Princess. This isn't like any game that you might've played as a child."

Eirika nodded and said, "I never thought — I didn't know it would be this… savage. Are words useless? Is strength all that matters?"

Seth smiled sadly at her before replying, "War is something horrible. It's caused by the lack of ability for people to discuss things in a peaceful way. Sometimes it's caused by the insanity of people, like the war against Nergal in Elibe. What he have to do now is fight to not only end the war, but ensure that this type of thing doesn't happen again."

With those heavy words in her mind, Eirika began to walk towards Frelia with Seth by her side. Unknown to the two, help would soon arrive, in the form of a man with a newly formed resolve to ensure the safety of not only Eirika, but also Ephraim.

 **And that's a wrap. Hope y'all enjoyed this new chapter. I personally like it myself. Feel free to review. And have happy holidays. Take care. Till next time.**


	3. Escape!

**Here is a new chapter for y'all. I don't own Fire Emblem. Without further ado, let's go.**

 **Chapter 1: Escape!**

As Eirika and Seth continued their journey towards Frelia, a new obstacle presents itself to the runaway princess. Having finally crossed the border into Frelia, they look forward to reaching the border castle of Mulan, only to find it has been overtaken by Grado troops. Knowing that the only way that they can continue on their journey is to go through Mulan, they decide to attempt to defeat the Grado forces.

 _Two hours earlier_

In the border castle of Mulan, a young woman with blue hair tied up in a ponytail is sitting, waiting for news from the soldier she had sent out to patrol. Upon hearing rumors of the Grado invasion of Renais, she had set out to hopefully find her friend Eirika, as well as any potential survivors.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a soldier ran up to her and said, "Princess Tana! Grado's forces are approaching!"

Surprised, she ran to the window in the castle and looked out into the distance. Sure enough, a small platoon of soldiers were marching towards the castle, carrying the Grado flag in the front. Frowning, she said, "So soon? Ah, we've had no time!"

Worried, the soldier says, "Milady, we lack the arms to defend this place properly. You must return to Castle Frelia."

Tana shook her head before picking up the lance she had brought with her on the trip before saying, "I can't! Not yet! We haven't yet found Eirika and her companions yet. Eirika is my friend, and she needs my help! I won't abandon her!"

Thinking to herself for a moment, she continues, "Oh, I know! Go and ask Father—I mean King Hayden for more troops! Hurry!"

Saluting, the soldier responded with a "Yes, your highness!" before heading out the castle and rushing towards Castle Frelia, hoping to come back before anything happened to Tana.

As she watched the soldier leave, Tana looked towards the direction of Renais and holding her arms to her chest, whispers, "Eirika… Please be safe…"

Outside the castle, the few soldiers who had stayed behind to guard the castle gates were rushing to set up their defenses.

Nearby, the commander of the Grado soldiers was smirking, seeing how the soldiers seemed to rush in what he considered a futile attempt at protecting themselves. One of his soldiers walked up to him and said, "Commander Breguet, the enemy appears to be fortifying their position in the castle."

Breguet laughed out loud before running a hand through his short blue hair and saying, "Hmph. They're tenacious, but they have no hope of stopping our advance."

The soldier nodded before saying, "What are your orders, sir?"

Breguet pushed the soldier aside before brandishing his lance and saying, "Ha! Orders? You just stand there and watch. I'll crush them myself!"

After picking himself up from the ground, the soldier reluctantly said, "As you command, sir…"

With a loud cry, Breguet charged the castle. Caught off guard, the guards were unable to react in time before Breguet ran his lance through two of the guards before launching their corpses at a third guard. Thrown off balance by the bodies, the third guard fell to the ground, his weapon lying too far away from his to help him. As he was trying to get the bodies off of him, Breguet laughed before bringing his boot down on his head and with a sickening crunch, the guard died. The final guard attempted to strike Breguet while he was distracted, only to find that his sword got deflected by Breguet's shield. Unable to do anything to recover, he could only watch as Breguet kicked him down before stabbing his lance down on his chest, laughing throughout the entire process.

Cleaning his lance, Breguet looked down at the corpses before saying, "Ha! That's what happens when you face off against my lance!"

Leaving his troops to clean up the area, Breguet heads inside, where he finds a nervous Tana holding her lance out towards him. "S-Stop right there! Call off your forces and turn back, or you'll have me to deal with!"

Smirking, Breguet smacks the lance away from her hand before kicking her down to the ground and saying, "Is that so? And who might you be?"

Regaining some of her composure, Tana moved back before saying, "Who? I am Princess Tana of Frelia. I will not permit you to abuse my country any longer."

Breguet smirked down at her, saying "Frelia's royal brat, huh? How convenient…"

Doing a good job of hiding her fear, Tana continues, "Leave this castle immediately. If you harm me, my father and brother will chase you to the Earth's end."

Kneeling down and grabbing a hold of her chin, Breguet turns her head before saying, "Yes, I've heard how King Hayden dotes on his precious daughter. Let's see how true that is. You'll make us a fine hostage, my dear."

Throwing her to the ground and kicking her on the side, he calls on one of his soldiers before saying, "Seize the girl and lock her up! Don't be afraid to rough her up if she struggles."

Saluting, the soldier says, "Right away, sir!"

As the soldier drags Tana away, all Breguet hears is Tana's helpless scream of "No! Let me go!"

 _Back with Eirika and Seth_

Looking out towards the Grado troops surrounding the castle, Eirika points towards them and says, "Seth, look…"

Nodding, Seth thinks for a moment before saying, "I see it. It seems like Grado's army has already reached Frelia. Princess, this place is perilous. We should bypass Mulan altogether and take another path towards the castle."

Eirika shook her head before she said, "But we can't just ignore this… You were there when Renais was invaded. You saw what I saw. You saw all the innocent people that were killed when Grado invaded. Homes were lost, possessions stolen, women were kidnapped, and children were killed in front of their family. Anyone who resisted was killed on the spot… no questions asked."

Seeing how Seth was refusing to say anything, Eirika continued, "Please, Seth. I can't allow that to happen here. I don't want to see any more people be harmed by Grado's atrocities."

Sighing, Seth shook his head before saying, "Very well your highness. But we must be careful, since the people of Renais still need you. We will proceed slowly and you will stay behind me at all times. Understood?"

Eirika smiled and nodded before saying, "Yes! Of course Seth. Thank you for understanding."

Moving towards the castle, the two approached as much as they could without being detected, reaching a small hill just beside the castle. Silently nodding to each other, the two rushed down the hill, taking down the first of the guards relatively easy. By doing so however, they alerted the rest of the guards.

Breguet, having noticed all the commotion, looked out and spotted Eirika amidst the fighting. "Hm? Is that the princess of Renais? Ha ha! It really is my lucky day! First the princess of Frelia, and now the princess of Renais. Two jewels that I can take advantage of all I want. Fame and fortune ride to meet me!"

Pointing towards the guard, Breguet said, "Move you slugs! Bring that girl to me! I want to enjoy these princesses as soon as possible! Soon, they'll forget all about their precious kingdoms…"

Back in the battlefield, Eirika and Seth were holding on as best as they could, but they were quickly finding themselves surrounded. Nearby, Franz finally seemed to return, and riding next to him, was a large man wielding a lance. Turning to the man, Franz said, "Sir Gilliam, is that Mulan? Have we reached Frelia's border already?"

Gilliam nodded before saying, "Aye, we have. Her highness Princess Tana should be inside the castle."

Franz looked out towards the castle before saying, "But look! The countryside is crawling with Grado soldiers! Where's the castle guard? Has Mullan fallen already? Are we too late?"

Gilliam frowned before saying, "Too tough to say from here. Princess Tana's in no danger if they want her as a bargaining tool. We men of the Eastern Watch will see her to safety."

Franz nodded and said, "Yes… Yes of course! We mustn't give up. We must move and retake the castle. Then, we ride forth to Princess Eirika's aid."

Gilliam nodded before raising his lance and shield and saying, "I've stronger armor than you do. I'll take the lead. Watch my back."

Just as Eirika and Seth were beginning to lose momentum against the enemy, Franz and Gilliam showed up, giving them the edge they needed to finally break through the enemy formations. After a few minutes of fighting back with renewed vigor, they finally found themselves with a moment of rest.

Heading towards Franz, Eirika smiles before saying, "Franz. You made it through unscathed…"

Franz nodded before saying, "Yes your highness! I met up with Sir Gilliam of Frelia and explained the situation in Renais. He told me that Princess Tana is in danger as well, here at Mulan. We rode as swiftly as we could."

Shocked at the recent development, Eirika said, "Tana is here!? Franz, we must hurry!"

Franz nodded before saying, "Understood!"

With their new companions, Seth and Eirika were able to finish off the rest of the guards with relative ease. Soon enough, all that was left was Breguet, who was waiting at the castle gate.

Breguet brandished his lance and shield before saying, "Bah, what a worthless lot of curs I've been assigned."

Charging towards Gilliam, he attempted to strike with his lance, only to see Gilliam block it with his shield. Gilliam, after pushing Breguet away, said, "Where is Princess Tana?"

Breguet smirked at Gilliam before saying, "Wouldn't you like to know? You don't need to worry about her. I'll make sure to take very good care of her."

Gilliam frowned at him before saying, "If there is one thing that I will never forgive, it is when someone not only threatens the safety of Princess Tana, but also dares to even suggest defiling the purity and grace of her highness."

Gilliam charged at Breguet, who simply laughed and blocked his attack. Driven by anger, Gilliam failed to see Breguet's fist until the last minute, resulting in him being pushed back by the punch. Shaking himself off, Gilliam took a deep breath before resuming his attack. The two continued to trade blows for a few minutes, slowly dealing damage to each other, until eventually, in a overconfident maneuver, Breguet tried to run his lance through Gilliam's head, only to see him not only dodge it, but for Gilliam to run his own lance through Breguet's chest. Shocked, Breguet could only say, "This...This can't be… I…"

Falling to the ground, Breguet looked up at Gilliam, who said, "This is for her highness." Bringing his lance down, Gilliam pierced Breguet's armor again, ending Breguet's life for good.

Eirika walked up to Gilliam and said, "We have to find Princess Tana. Let's hurry!"

Gilliam nodded before saying, "She'd probably be held in the prisoner's cell. Let's go!"

Back in the cell where Tana was being held, the guard was currently busy roughing Tana up a little, oblivious to the fact that the rest of his companions were defeated. Pushing Tana against a corner, he laughed before saying, "Without your lance you're so defenseless your highness."

Tana was in a rough condition. Her clothes were ripped and tattered beyond repair, and she was holding her arm against her chest in an attempt to protect not only herself, but also her dignity.

Eyeing her body up and down, the guard licked his lips before saying, "The boss did say to rough you up if you resisted. I think I'll have a little fun with you instead."

Unbuckling his armor and pants, he began to move forward towards Tana, who tried to move back in an attempt to put as much distance between them as possible.

Just as the guard was about to reach her, he heard a voice behind him. "You know… I really dislike people who take advantage of defenseless women."

"Wha…" Turning around, the guard was barely able to let out a sound before a sword penetrated his chest.

Tana looked up at her savior and saw someone unfamiliar to her. Shaky from her experience, she moved back before saying, "W-Who are you?"

The man smiled at her before removing his coat and covering her body with it. Pulling her up with him, he said, "My name is Kouga. I'm here to help."

Tana blushed slightly at his smile before saying, "T-Thank you. But how did you get here? What happened to the rest of the guards?"

Just as Kouga was about to answer, Gilliam rushed into the room, and after spotting Tana, he rushed forward and kneeled before her and saying, "Princess Tana. I'm glad you're alright."

Tana shook her head and said, "Sir Gilliam. I'm sorry. I never meant to cause you such trouble."

Gilliam laughed before shaking his head and saying, "It was no trouble your highness. I live to serve, Princess."

Tana smiled before gesturing to Kouga and saying, "Besides, if there's anyone you should be thanking for my safety, it's this man here. He saved me from some… unsavory circumstances."

Gilliam turned to Kouga and bowed before him saying, "Thank you for helping the Princess. I am forever in your debt."

Kouga shook his head before replying, "Think nothing of it. I would've done the same for any damsel in distress."

Before anything else could be said, Tana was knocked down by a blue blur who let out a shout of "Tana!"

Looking at who brought her down, Tana was surprised to see Eirika holding her down. "...Eirika?! Is that really you?"

Eirika nodded before looking at Tana and saying, "Tana, what are you doing, so far from Castle Frelia?"

Tana smiled sadly before saying, "I heard that Renais had fallen, and I was so worried… But I'm glad to see that you're safe!"

Looking around, she noticed someone missing and said, "Wait! Where is Ephraim? Is he well?"

Eirika's smile disappeared and she looked down at the ground before mumbling, "...I wish I knew."

Tana grew worried at that statement and said, "Oh, I hope he's not harmed…"

Remembering something, Tana brightened up before saying, "Come, we must go to Castle Frelia. My lord father may know something."

Eirika smiled at Tana and said, "Thank you Tana."

Looking around, Eirika finally noticed Kouga standing there. Surprised, she ran up to him and said, "You!? You're the guy from the obstacle course? What are you doing here?"

Kouga nodded before saying, "Hello Princess Eirika. My name is Kouga. I was tasked by King Fado to take care of you and help you find your brother. I've been working for him secretly ever since that day. Despite only knowing him for a short time, I like to think we grew to be close friends. I came here, knowing that you would have to pass through it on your way to Frelia."

Eirika nodded but then thought of something else. Walking up to him with eyes full of hope, she said, "So you talked to my father?! Do you know if he's okay?"

Kouga smiled sadly at Eirika before saying, "I'm sorry your highness. King Fado didn't survive the invasion of Grado. He sent me here to protect you and make sure you lived on."

Eirika staggered back from his announcement and tears began to fall down her cheeks, "No...Father… is dead?"

Falling to the ground, Tana could only hold her close as Eirika broke down in front of everyone. Silently, everyone walked out of the room until the only ones left were Eirika, Tana, and Kouga.

Kouga walked up to Eirika and knelt before her, wiping some of her tears before saying, "He told me to let you know that he will always love you and that he only wishes that he could've been there to see you grow up into the wonderful ruler he always knew you would become."

Eirika moved back from him before she looked at him with eyes full of sadness and said, "B-But you were there with him… You could've done something to save him. Couldn't you? Isn't that why father asked for your help in the first place? Why couldn't you save my father?!"

Kouga clenched his fists, understanding where Eirika was coming from. She was right. Maybe he could've saved him if he tried a little harder. That's all he's had in his mind ever since he walked out of that throne room that day. As Eirika began to punch him lightly on his chest, crying her eyes out, Kouga simply stood there.

Finally, Kouga let a tear fall down his face before saying, "I'm sorry Princess. I failed you. I failed King Fado. I was there when he needed me the most and all I could do was walk away, knowing that I was leaving a great man behind to his death. I myself don't understand why Fado gave me the order to escape. All I know is that he knew his time had run out, and wanted me to take care of you in his stead."

Tana pulled Eirika away from Kouga before saying, "Eirika… Don't be so hard on him. It's clear that he cared about your father as much as you did."

True enough, when Eirika looked at Kouga's face, she could see the shame that filled his eyes. "...Kouga."

Kouga slammed a fist into the wall, not caring about the blood that started to drip from his hand before saying, "I failed him! I could've done something but I failed him! Despite only knowing him for such a short time, he was like a father to me! I know it's my fault he's dead. Don't remind me… This burden… This guilt will live in me for the rest of my life…"

Eirika walked up to Kouga and hugged him from behind, crying silently onto his back, before saying, "...I'm sorry Kouga. I shouldn't have said those things. After hearing how you grew closer to him while working with him, I should have known his death would be hard on you as well, but I wasn't thinking."

The two held on to each other, silently comforting each other, until eventually they both calmed down.

Kouga smiled sadly down at Eirika before saying, "Come on Princess. It's time to go. We should head out before any Grado reinforcements show up."

Wiping the remainder of her tears, Eirika nodded and followed him out, not noticing the smirking Tana walking behind her. Tana looked at how close the two walked and thought to herself, _'Well what do we have here? Is this a potential couple I see? Looks like it's time for Tana to work her shipping magic.'_

With those devilish thoughts in Tana's head, she joined up with the rest of the group, starting the trek towards Castle Frelia.

 **Hope y'all enjoyed this new chapter. Make sure to show your support. Till next time.**


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